Since 2016, more than a million people have walked through the doors of a sci-fi funhouse in Santa Fe, New Mexico, that a group of avant-garde artists built from scratch. Thanks to a $3 million investment from Santa Fe resident and Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin, they built a trippy Victorian house called House of Eternal Return inside a former bowling alley.

The group is called Meow Wolf—a name members literally picked out of a hat—and its concept of giddily colorful, art-driven entertainment is such a runaway success that it is expanding its concept to other cities and employing 400 people to keep up with growth. In May 2019, the artists raised more than $158 million from investors to supercharge expansion plans across America. Some 15 new locations are planned for the next five years.

Read my story on frommers.com

Meow Wolf artists love color. Photo by Anastasia Mills Healy

Creature at House of Eternal Return. Photo by Anastasia Mills Healy

That’s my daughter in a clothes dryer, which is one of many unusual portals. Photo by Anastasia Mills Healy

3D wall art. Photo by Anastasia Mills Healy

A central area at Meow Wolf’s House of Eternal Return, a sci-fi funhouse in Santa Fe. Photo by Anastasia Mills Healy

You never know what you’ll find when you open a door. Photo by Anastasia Mills Healy

Not your usual kitchen. Photo by Anastasia Mills Healy

Neon giant coral flank an underwater-themed passageway. Photo by Anastasia Mills Healy

One of the otherworldly rooms. Photo by Anastasia Mills Healy

A sitting area at the foot of a treehouse. Photo by Anastasia Mills Healy

View from the top of a staircase. Photo by Anastasia Mills Healy

You can walk right into the refrigerator. Photo by Anastasia Mills Healy

Giant spider sculpture at Meow Wolf Santa Fe. Photo by Anastasia Mills Healy

Meow Wolf’s mascot, Snaggy. Photo by Anastasia Mills Healy